The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-07-04
sIoN BRADBURY.
The Funeral at the First Parish
Church Yesterday.
Impressive Services Conducted by
Rev. DR.. Hill.

The funeral services of the late Bi0n
Bradbury were held yesterday afternoon.
Prayers were said at the house at o'clock,
and the funeral took place from the First
Parish church at o'clock. There was a
large attendance, including many of the lead
ing lawyers and business men of the city.
Members of the Cumberland Bar Association
attended in body, as did the officers and
employees of the Custom House and men,
bers Of the Ancient Brotherhood. The
funeral procession entered the church pre-
ceded by DR.. Hill, who, as the cortege moved
down the aisle, repeated selections of scrip
tune. The pail bearers were Hon. Samuel j.
Anderson, S. c. Strout. Esq, John Rand,
Esq, Judge Nathan Webb. Hon. VIM G..
Davis, Edward Payson, Esq, Geo. f. Emery,
Esq, and Samuel Trask, ESQ. The casket
was placed in front of the pulpit. and sever
al floral emblems were placed upon the plat
form near it.
Rev. Dr. Hill conducted the services in an
impressive manner. After the scripture
reading and prayer he made eloquent and
appropriate remarks, speaking as follows:
In the presence of death our earthly judy
ments become of no avail. Our eulogiums
and our censure are alike of no importance
to one who has passed through the gates be-
yond the grave. But it does not follow that
our judgments are of no value to ourselves.
Whether we are thinking of the living or the
dead, it remains true that our judgments re-
act upon ourselves; it remains true that
just and kind judgment, recognizing what is
lovely and noble in our fellow men. refnes
and ennobles us; while an unjust and severe
Judgment degrades and hardenS us.
Ii is Tins that long life nf integrity and
honorable dealing, life of useful labor, and
OF kindly courteses, prompted by a kindly
heart becomes effective after it has appar-
emily ended, in promoting good will to men.
Even Even though no public eulsgium be UTTERED,
the praise Of such life the moment it has
closed, passes from mouth to mouth, and its
influence from heart to heart. There has
been, during the life, silence concerning its
excellence, because those who saw its beauty
naturally presumed that others saw it also.
Thus the influence of a living man, wide
though it may be through his public labors,
is narrow so far as it flows from his private
character, being felt in that respect princi-
pally by his nearest friends. But when
death removes the seal of secrecy from those
friends lips, and they tell of what they have
known OF his private worth, of the sweet
ness and strength which had not been public
ly displayed, then we all become larger
sharers in their inheritance of refining and
ennobling influences from him whom they
describe.
1t has sometimes been said that our judg-
ments are always fallible, and that the
goodness which wins our love and our re-
spect may be of no value in the sight of
God. II is easy to find single sentences of
Holy Writ which seem to assert this doc
trine. But ON the other hand it is easy to
show that the whole general tenor of Scrip
ture lies the other way; and emphatically
asserts the value of a good name, the i'm
portance of being well-reported as of good
lasrta ,.al.t. =.
the Bible, and from the pulpits of Christen-
dom. implies that the righteousness which
God requires Is the righteousness which
good men acknowledge as such. Nothing
can be further from the spirit sof the proph-
cts and apostles than Ia contempt for moral
excellence; they eDjoin the love of our
neighbor as emphatically as they enjoin the
love of God. When, therefore, we endeavor
to pierce the veil, and see the condition of
the assembled soul, we may rest assured that
the whole spirit of our Lords teaching bids
us take our soundest human Judgment, as
some indication of his judgment, and of the
Heavenly Fathers Judgment.
That eagle-eyed saint whose vision pierced
beyond the seventh heaven, Ond whose the
ology rises into the highest realms of divine
insight, is the most emphatic of all the apos-
ties in declaring the identity of religion with
goodness. He that doeth good is of God-is
the language ofsSt. John. A life of honora-
bic labor, conducted in the spirit of courtesy
and good will, is the strongest evidence of
heart right with God and set to keep his COM
mandments; the best ground therefore of
life.
There are two forms of moral excellence,
one drawing our love, and one commanding
our respect; both forms being blended in the
highest types of character-but blended in
varying proportion in different men. One
form is the native Unborn excellence, (which
shows itself usually from childhood, and at
all events, shows itself without conscious eff
fort This is the form which creates love;
which draws our hearts towards the posses
sOr. The love is blended with admira-
tion,,, wonder. and reverence. But the
excellence is so uncOnSciously dis
played, that it would seem almost
pr0fanltlye to say that we approved it
OF. respected it. The other form is that
which is attained when strong men enter
the kingdom of heaven by fierce struggle.
1t is the excellence which arises from de-
termlned willing to do Gods will Such ex-
cellence we respect from the beginning of its
effort; and if the effort is continued we adj
mire; when the effort begins to be successful
we reverence; and when the success is COM
plete we love.
1t would seem from this, that the Unborn
excellence is of the highest type; it would
seem as though it were sent among us to
give, pattern and model toward which the
excellence which Is by conscious effort may
strive. When the conscious effort has OBJ
talned complete victory, then the effort is
no longer needed, and the obedience to the
highest moral law becomes unconscious; and
we give the victor the double need of respect
and honor for the struggle, of love and rev
erence for the attained result, the crown of
life, restored integrity. Thanks be to God
for His unspeakable gifts, that through His
grace this crown may be attained, and that
through our love and reverence for one who
has attained it, we are ourselves helped in
our own efforts to win 1t.
During the services the choir sang these
selections: II heard voice from heaven"
abide with me-" and ''Shall we meet be-
yond the river" The congregation was dis
missed with the benediction. Before leaving
the church nearly all Of those present avail
ed themselves of the opportunity to look at
the features of the deceased The body was
inferred at Evergreen Cemetery.
great many elegant floral tributes were
sent to the late residence of Mr.. Bradbury
from friends and relatives. Among them
were large wreath and sickle from the
members of the customs service at this port,
and pillow, bearing in its centre the word
Peace" from the members of the Surveyors
In.1o -.